The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Pfizer closure has ripple effect
Closure could effect housing and school enrollment in Saline
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 1, 2007
If a pebble tossed in a pond creates ripples, the announcement last week that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer planned to close up shop at its research and development facility in Ann Arbor, displacing more than 2,100 employees, was a boulder that sent crashing waves across the region.
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Pfizer said it plans to transfer up to 70 percent of its Ann Arbor workforce to other company locations outside the state by the end of the year. The diaspora of Pfizer employees is expected to impact communities throughout Washtenaw County.
In Saline, the effect of Pfizer's closing could manifest itself in a surge of houses into an already flooded real estate market, a higher unemployment rate and a drop in student enrollment, according to community leaders.
"Good, high-paying jobs with full benefits are hard to replace," said City Manager Larry Stoever, who fears an emigration of unemployed residents.
He is not alone in his concern.
Saline Area School administrators have determined that roughly 160 of its students have one or more parents employed by Pfizer. They also have learned that a handful of the district's teachers have spouses who work at Pfizer, said Deputy Superintendent Nancy Brenton.
The news that many Pfizer employees and their schoolage children may move out of state comes at a time when the district is already projecting flat growth. Enrollment could drop, Brenton said.
"We're thinking about sending a letter to families districtwide in the spring to try to learn as early as possible if they're staying or leaving," Brenton said.
Teachers and counselors also expect to see an up tick in students struggling with the unwelcome prospect of moving and changing schools.
"It's pretty predictable that we're going to be seeing some kids dealing with friends moving out," said Saline Middle School Principle Nic Cooper. "It's basically a process of grieving and coming to terms with change."
He said teachers and counselors would be attentive for signs of stress.
None of the current Pfizer employees living in Saline who were contacted chose to comment on their future plans, but many residents know families in their churches or other community groups who have been touched by the planned closure.
"We're even going to feel it in Girl Scouts," said Kathy Van Buren.
She said after Pfizer's announcement three of six chaperones for a trip to Europe next year backed out because they were not sure where their families would be.
State and regional leaders, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, are scrambling to try to keep Pfizer professionals in Michigan.
"Pfizer was a significant economic engine in the area," said Mayor Gretchen Driskell, who is involved with Ann Arbor SPARK, an organization focused on spurring economic development in the area.
Driskell said in the past week she has seen an effort to keep Pfizer employees in the community "at a very high level."
City and business leaders are closely watching the response to Pfizer's closing, looking to draw any lessons from it they can in light of the uncertain future of Saline's largest taxpayer, Automotive Components Holdings LLC.
"What happens in the area with the loss of Pfizer will provide lessons for us on how to absorb the loss of the ACH plant if it closes," said Larry Osterling, executive director of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce.
ACH has said it plans to either sell or close its plants by 2008.
If Saline's ACH plant closed, coupled with Pfizer's leaving, it would not be a matter of "ripples" through the Saline area.
"It would be like a tsunami hitting us," Stoever said.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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